Okay, so it may not be the merriest of holiday seasons. With Wall Street in a deep freeze and the economy sputtering faster than a Christmas candle in a Nor’easter, who wants to leave the house, let alone face the crowds at the mall?

Fortunately, there’s an affordable, low-stress alternative to usual holiday shopping frenzy. Over the next few weeks, hundreds of local artists and artisans will be selling their wares at holiday sales and exhibits around Rhode Island. Prices are generally reasonable (usually no more than a few hundred dollars for the most expensive items, with many going for far less) and the choices are literally endless: handmade scarves and knitwear, blown-glass bowls and ornaments, artist-made furniture and ceramics, one-of-kind prints and paintings. The list goes on and on.

To prove our point, we talked to nine artists whose work will be featured in one of the “Big Three” holiday art sales: the RISD Alumni Holiday Art Sale at the Rhode Island Convention Center, the Foundry Artists Holiday Sale at the Pawtucket Armory and the Craftland sale at 235 Westminster St. in Downcity.

Locations and hours

The Foundry Artists Holiday Sale opens tonight from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Pawtucket Armory, 172 Exchange St. Sale hours are Thurs.-Fri. noon-8 and Sat.-Sun. 10-6, through Dec. 14.

Craftland opens tomorrow from 5 to 9 p.m. at 235 Westminster St. in downtown Providence. Sale hours are Mon.-Sun. 11-6 and Thurs and Sat. 11-8, through Dec. 24.

The RISD Alumni Holiday Art Sale takes place on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin St. in Providence. Sale hours are 10-5. Admission is $7 adults, children under 14 and RISD students with I.D. free.

The artist: Loren Dwo Wen Chen, 45

What he does: Chen is the creative force behind Three Wheels Studio, a local ceramics studio that produces a line of leaf-patterned bowls, platters and tea pots. To create the patterns, Chen uses actual leaves (gingko and maple are his favorites), which burn off during the firing process. The outlines left by the burned-off leaves are then glazed and re-fired.

In his own words: "I love making things that are aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. Yes, I worked very hard to perfect the leaf-firing process, so I'm kind of known as 'the Leaf Guy.' But my main concern is always functionality 'how well does it do what it's supposed to do.'"

Where to find him: Foundry Artists Holiday Show

Artist: Jessica Abernethy, 29

What she does: A Connecticut native, Abernethy studied fashion design in Germany before opening her own Providence-based design studio in 2007. Her specialties include handmade skirts, tops and dresses, many of which are sold through small shops and retail outlets, including the funky-chic Queen of Hearts boutique (186 Union St.) in downtown Providence.

In her own words: "Basically, my goal is to make clothes that look great and feel great. I'm also a big fan of simplicity. I don't think everything has to be ultra-fancy or elaborate. Beyond that, I'm really just trying to make clothes that make people feel happy."

Where to find her: Craftland

The artist: C.W. Roelle, 32

What he does: A graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Roelle is known for his “wire drawings” — elaborate 3-D artworks that he creates by twisting and crimping pieces of lightweight metal wire. The results, which range from small portraits and landscapes to complex scenes with multiple figures and lots of background detail, are so amazingly lifelike it’s hard to believe they’re made of wire.

In his own words: “In drawing class, if I made a mistake I’d get frustrated because I couldn’t just reach down and move a line where I wanted it. Eventually, I started working with wire because it allowed me to move the lines wherever I wanted.”

Where to find him: Craftland

The artist: Asya Palatova, 40

What she does: The child of Soviet emigrés, Palatova is a 2004 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and a former designer for Martha Stewart Living. She’s also the owner of Gleena Ceramics, a Pawtucket studio that makes ceramic bowls, cups and platters, many of which are decorated with images inspired by memories of Palatova’s Russian grandmother. (Gleena, by the way, is Russian for clay.)

In her own words: “I like to think of my work as functional sculpture. At RISD, I studied sculpture, but the more I worked with clay, the more I wanted to make things that people could use rather than just look at. I love the idea of incorporating art into daily life.”

Where to find her: RISD Alumni Holiday Art Sale

The artists: Elizabeth Pannell and James Watkins, 52

What she does: Pannell, 52, and husband James Watkins, are the owners of Pean Doubulyu, a Pawtucket studio that makes brightly colored contemporary glassware, including bowls, pitchers, vases and wine glasses. Their clients range from chic museum shops to retail giants such as Neiman Marcus and the famed Gump’s department store in San Francisco.

In their own words: “When we started Pean Doubulyu, our goal was to make glassware that is fun and distinctive while still being functional. It’s not meant to be put on a pedestal and admired as fine art — but if that’s what you want to do, we won’t complain.”

Where to find them: RISD Alumni Holiday Art Sale

The artists: Tracy and Allison Stilwell

What they do: Sisters Tracy, 60, and Allison, 55, are the owners of Artgirlz, a Charlestown design studio that specializes in do-it-yourself arts-and-crafts kits. Popular items include a “Christmas Tree Kit” that features a wool-felt Christmas tree and an assortment of felt ornaments and a “Snow People Kit” featuring a politically-correct array of snowmen and snowwomen.

In their own words: “Basically, our goal is to turn everyone into an artist. Forget that stuff about ‘Oh, I can’t paint’ or ‘I can’t draw’ or ‘I’m not very artistic. ’ Our kits are designed to give you everything you need to create something wonderful.”

Where to find them: Foundry Artists Holiday Sale

The artist: Emi Ozawa, 46

What she does: Based in Fall River, Ozawa brings a playful spirit and a love of nature to her designs for clocks, cups, boxes and other household items. Her popular “Cat Clock,” for example, features a cat-shaped profile, and hour and minute hands double as the cat’s whiskers. A line of “Snowbird” ornaments, meanwhile, feature cartoon-style birds wearing stocking caps.

In her own words: “I’m always looking at things, especially animals. In the case of the Cat Clock, I started with the idea of a cat that was sitting down but still, you know, alert. Then I started playing around with things like the tail, the ears and the whiskers. So far, it’s been my most popular design.”

Where to find her: RISD Alumni Holiday Art Sale

The artist: Alec Thibodeau, 36

What he does: Based in Providence, Thibodeau combines Old Master drawing skills with a retro-hip sensibility that encompasses everything from classic cartoons to ’60s psychedelia. He also has a thing for faces — something anyone can confirm by visiting his Web site (www.inkape.com), where the portrait gallery includes likenesses of Herman Melville, H.P. Lovecraft and Frida Kahlo.

In his own words: “A few years ago, I was passing through Providence when I started noticing a lot of really cool posters. I’d taken some printmaking classes in college, but these posters were unlike anything I’d seen before — weirdly shaped, obviously handmade and completely awesome. So I decided to stay, and now I’m one of the people making those posters.”

Where to find him: Craftland